Grannie-Grannie (1971)

This is one of those strange and obscure limited-release albums, originally appearing only as a promotional disc, with an official run of just 100 copies and a stark, handcrafted cover. This British band was formed by guitarist Phil Newton in the late sixties. Little else is known about the history of this short-lived group, who privately recorded an album in 1971 without a label to finance them, only to vanish shortly thereafter. Grannie was initially a cover band that played in various London venues such as The Marquee and The Roadhouse. Besides Phil Newton, the band consisted of singer Fred Lilly, flautist Jan Chandler, bassist Dave Holland, and drummer Johnny Clark. Taking advantage of an advertisement offering eight hours of studio time, a master recording, and an album for £99, Newton began composing his own songs for the group to include on the recording. The result was an album composed of six tracks of avant-garde and progressive rock, featuring heavy guitars and catchy melodies, as demonstrated in songs like "Coloured Armageddon", "Saga of a Sad Star and Leaving", "Romany of Return", and the acoustic "Dawn". After recording this album, the band suffered the theft of all their equipment before one of their performances, including their first and expensive Mellotron, effectively erasing all trace of the band. In the 1990s, the prestigious magazine Record Collector included this album among the 100 most valuable records of all time due to its high quality, rarity, and limited pressing.

Jimmy Page & Robert Plant-No Quarter (1994)

In 1994, the long-awaited reunion of some of the legendary Led Zeppelin members finally took place, thanks to the live album recorded by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant titled "No Quarter". The tracks on this live album were taken from various performances in London, Wales, and Morocco during mid-1994. Featuring Arabic orchestration on several tracks, the repertoire was based on a more traditional folk and blues style. Despite being quite different from the hard rock and blues rock of their parent band, this new album became a magnificent work and a huge commercial success. Composed of covers of Led Zeppelin classics, along with some new songs, the album showcases the more traditional folk and blues side of Page and Plant, styles that were always a prominent aspect of Led Zeppelin's career, all seasoned with subtle Arabic influences. Listening to tracks like "Nobody's Fault But Mine", "Thank You", "Since I've Been Loving You", and "Kashmir" in an acoustic format, with occasional appearances of electric guitar and Page's unmistakable riffs and guitar solos, is a true delight for the ears of all fans of the band and music lovers in general. These tracks contrast with the more exotic "Friends", "City Don't Cry", and "Wah Wah", while cuts like "That's The Way" and "Gallows Pole" are the most powerful on this outstanding live album from two of the greatest legends of rock music.

Marillion-Fugazi (1984)

Marillion's second album, and the first where they truly showcase their own style, moving away from the obvious Genesis influences of their debut. However, despite the band developing highly avant-garde instrumental sections characteristic of their own school, they don't lose sight of the classic sound that was present in their earlier work. For this new album, the band introduced a new drummer, Ian Mosley, who would fit perfectly into the instrumental cohesion of his bandmates. Furthermore, Fish's lyrics are more dynamic, and his vocal style doesn't delve into the vocal intonations of Peter Gabriel. The opening track, "Assassin", represents, in a way, Fish's particular vision of Eastern music an uplifting and energetic song with vigorous drumming, bass interludes, and great guitar riffs. The powerful “Punch and Judy” stands out as one of the most commercially viable yet hard-hitting tracks the band has ever recorded, brimming with powerful riffs, fabulous melodies, and a catchy hook that makes it utterly irresistible. Perhaps “Jigsaw” is the song that most closely resembles the Genesis style, a dark track with soaring passages and sublime guitar solos from Rothery. The superb “Emeral Lies”, with its sinister atmosphere and poetic lyrics, gives way to the brilliant and melodic “She Chameleon”, where the organ takes center stage. To finish the dynamic and progressive track, “Incubus”, which with smooth transitions between the different melodies within the same theme, makes it a superb and brilliant track and one of the fans' favorites in the group's live performances, and the more intimate and delicate “Fugazi”, a worthy conclusion to an extraordinary neo-progressive album, considered one of the masterpieces of the genre.